Poll puts Michigan governor race at even

Company finds incumbents ahead in U.S. Senate race, others.

Company finds incumbents ahead in U.S. Senate race, others.

September 04, 2006

LANSING (AP) -- A polling company that eight weeks ago reported Republican challenger Dick DeVos apparently leading Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm says a new poll shows the race now is about even. The poll also found incumbents leading or apparently leading in the races for U.S. Senate, attorney general and secretary of state. The election is Nov. 7. Des Moines, Iowa-based Selzer & Co. said that 46 percent of 803 likely Michigan voters interviewed Aug. 28 through Wednesday said they backed Granholm, while 44 percent backed DeVos and 10 percent were unsure or gave another response. The 2-percentage-point difference between Granholm and DeVos was within the poll's 3.5-percentage-point margin of sampling error. Selzer conducted the poll for the Detroit Free Press and Detroit television station WDIV. A Selzer poll of 632 likely voters July 7-12 reported that 47 percent backed DeVos, 42 percent backed Granholm, 8 percent were undecided and 3 percent gave another response. DeVos' 5-percentage-point lead was just beyond the poll's 4-percentage-point margin of error. DeVos campaign spokesman John Truscott said of the new poll: "We assume we'll be behind the entire fall. We're the challenger to an incumbent. We're pretty satisfied with where we are." Granholm campaign spokesman Chris De Witt said the poll shows that DeVos' recent ad campaign critical of the governor's ability to bring jobs to Michigan has "failed to convince voters he's the kind of leader the state needs or wants." An Aug. 21-22 poll by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA showed Granholm apparently leading DeVos. The governor drew support from 49 percent to 42 percent for DeVos, with 3 percent for Libertarian Greg Creswell and 6 percent undecided. Two earlier EPIC-MRA surveys showed a close governor's race. An Aug. 9-14 poll found 50 percent of those questioned said they backed Granholm, 47 percent said they backed DeVos and 3 percent were undecided. A July 19-25 poll found Granholm at 47 percent and DeVos at 44 percent, with 9 percent undecided. All three EPIC-MRA polls covered 600 likely voters and had margins of error of 4 percentage points. In the race for U.S. Senate, the latest Selzer poll showed incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow leading Republican Mike Bouchard, 50 percent to 37 percent, with 13 percent unsure or giving another response. Republican Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land was leading Democratic challenger Carmella Sabaugh, 45 percent to 34 percent, with 21 percent unsure or other. And Republican Attorney General Mike Cox appeared to be leading Democratic challenger Amos Williams. Cox had 39 percent and Williams 33 percent, with 28 percent not sure or other.